Free, fortnightly PIP, ESA and DLA Updates

Our fortnightly updates bulletin is the UK's leading source of benefits news. Get the facts about what's changing, how it affects you and how to prepare. Our mailing list is securely managed by icontact in the US.

What we're about

At a time when most politicians seem proud to treat sick and disabled claimants with harshness and suspicion, independent and accurate information about how to claim and keep your benefits is vitally important.

Benefits and Work, was launched in 2002 (and became a limited company in October 2006) by advice worker turned barrister Holiday Whitehead and benefits writer and trainer Steve Donnison, to provide just such information.

It is unique amongst benefits information providers in that it asks for no funding or support from the government, local authorities, grant making trusts or large companies. Every penny of Benefits and Work's revenue comes from its subscribing members.

This complete independence means that Benefits and Work is free to publish information that makes it deeply unpopular with the Department for Work and Pensions, multinationals with an interest in benefits - such as Atos Healthcare, Unum Provident and Capita - and even other advice providers whose dependence on state and corporate funding may have made them reluctant to tell the whole truth.

Who we are

Steve Donnison

Before launching Benefits and Work Steve worked in the voluntary sector for over 25 years, mainly with disadvantaged children and homeless adults.

He has been a welfare rights worker for more than a decade and continues to represent clients at social security tribunals for a local advice agency. He also trains advice workers, social workers, housing workers, health professionals and others who deal with welfare benefits in the course of their work.

Holiday Whitehead

Holiday began her working life as an ancillary worker in an NHS hospital, where she became involved in trade union work for NUPE (now part of UNISON). Following a diploma course at Ruskin College, Oxford sponsored by the TUC and her trade union, Holiday went on to do a law degree at the University of East Anglia. At the same time Holiday began volunteering for an advice centre and, following her degree, became a full-time welfare rights worker and then an employment law specialist.

In 1998 Holiday returned to university to undertake her Bar finals and was called to the Bar in 1999.

Holiday practised as a barrister until January 2004 when, entirely frustrated with the lack of progress towards direct access to barristers made by the Bar Council, she ceased practising and became a freelance employment law consultant. Holiday is the co-author of all the guides on the site.